
Kennedy Centre Opera House could be renamed after Melania Trump
Republican Senator for Idaho Mike Simpson proposed the change during a House appropriations committee markup of the centre's funding.
Committee members were considering if the change should be made on Tuesday.
Mrs Trump is an honorary chairwoman of the Kennedy Centre's board, as is tradition for first ladies.
The Opera House is the Washington DC-based institution's second largest theatre, behind the Concert Hall.
Mr Trump sacked the chairman of the Kennedy Centre board and its 13 trustees soon after coming into office – making himself chairman and Richard Grenell, his Venezuela envoy, the interim leader.
He said his reason for terminating the contracts of members of the board of trustees is that they did not 'share our vision for a golden age in arts and culture '.
Since Mr Trump's takeover, the Kennedy Centre's new president has expressed a wish to scrap the current programming and has so far announced a 'big, huge celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas'.
Mr Trump's takeover of the centre – one of the foremost cultural institutions in the US – has been greeted with dismay in the arts world.
Lin Manuel Miranda, the brain behind the Broadway musical Hamilton cancelled shows at the centre in March, in protest over Mr Trump.
Issa Rae and the musician Rhiannon Giddens also cancelled shows.
Ben Folds, the songwriter, and Renee Fleming, the singer, stepped down from advisory positions on the board following the Maga takeover.
Vice-President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, were booed by the audience when attending a concert by the National Symphony Orchestra in March.
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